Exhaust pipe and pit



29, 1931. I' H, A HOLZER 1,838,834

EXHAU-ST PIPE AND PIT Filed March "7, 1927 ///Z/7/vr ,xNvENToR ATTORN'EY `Patented Dec. 29, 1931 UNITED. STATES Hmmm A. Home, or rxmrsnum, nurses, seremos 'ro UNITED mou wonxsJNc or zum summum, A eonroiwrion ormssoun'r Appuuon'mea Maren k.'i, 1927. semina. 1778.588.

My invention relatesfto gas engine exhaust reeelvers and more particularly sto exhaust pit equipment for restraining and reducing the e plosibility of the gases exhausted an a5 engine. l A

My o 'ect is .to provideim rovements 1n exhaustdisposal equipment vv ereb Lthe exhaust gases will be more thorough y mixed and longer restrained for substantial red-uc 1o tion of the hazardszof sparkem-ission and exlosion.- V; v

n- Aoil field practiceipes laid preferably in trenches conduct ex' aust gases from an internal combustion engine toa distance for not constitute a `fire vhazard adjacent--fthe Working scene, the products discharging into a muiiler andthe arrangement meeting the additional well-known purposes of'means *for engine may result in the passage of an unconsumed charge of gas to the-muffler, where hazard.` s f Y I provide for theaccomplishment of my object, means to overcome theoenditions that and thoroughly mixed'y and the liability oif cx plosion practically eliminated.A ,p

These and other velements of structure and function will be particularly described with references to the accompanying ldrawings,in which:v

rig.' 1 is a' siaeelevatinl View i myd vice and of an engine that it serves.

2j is a element.

Fig.r3 is a cross section of the Inullleron Y U 1mp1nge lagainst the p -lnner housing wall at the line 3.-3, Fig. 1. l v i l Fig. ,4 is a detailedl view in perspectlve of 50 pipescoimecting'meansf discharge so that the c-xxhaust"products may dissipating'such exhaust gases. *The'hazardu is not entirely removed, however, Jby the vton-k ventional installations, since a Anns-r'eof 'the the' charge may explode land project a flame into the atmosphereto constitute a seriousmay cause danger, comprising alhousingfre--.

perspective view of they mufier VAReferring in detail to the drawings:

I 1 designates generically an internal combustion engine "2 a conduit conducting the exhaust gases E rom the. engine to a cylindricalhousing or muiller 3, and 4 a'treneh or 55' elongated pit` accommodating the muiiler and 'p conduit. "The conduit, connected to the exhaust port of the engine at 5, comprises Va plurality of'pipes', one of which, designated 7 ,Y is shovvn'asl curved on `a relatively' lon radius to provide as free and unobstructe movement as possible for the gases into 'a delectedcou-rse. Y

The housing comprises upper and lower body portions orrings 8 and 9, having flanges 10, the bottom plate 11 projectin to coincide peripherally with `the lla-nge o lower ring 9 and the conical top 12 having va flange 13; 'adj acent parts being secured together by bolts- 14. Two rings are shown, suggestin exten'- sibility. The conical top 12 is provi ed with `an axialilanged outlet y15tov which a flanged exhaust' outlet pipev v16 may beattached having lan axis aligned 'With'the axes of :the top and chamber. l V

The lower ring or body portion 9, shown in plan view in Fig. B, is provided with a feature that constitutes (an important element of m inv'entionnamely, a tan ntially dispose exhaust inlet member 1 .Y Theinlet member is preferablyiconstructed as anin-kk tegral straight pipe portionof the ring 9, and installed adjacent the'lower end ofthe ring, in a plane 'at right angles toits axis, and havingja 'longitudinal liney of its interior surface in'its horizontal diameter vcoincidental with a line tangent tothe inner periphery ofthe ring, the inner end of the inlet registering with the inner periphery of the ring. The connection of lthe conduitI 2 with said inlet Will later be particularly described.

jThe construction as shown provides that the exhaust gases projected through the conduit will enter the housing near its lower end, and traveling horizontally on chords of thehousin'g fless thanjthe diameter thereof,

obtuse anglesl "The stream of gasesthere!r :fore iis deflected intoja circular course parallel m0 CTI to the horizontal bottom plate of the housing, and tends to maintain such course and to circulate therein. The gases are restrained therefore in the lower part of the housing for an appreciable and relatively substantial period so that incoming portions are caused to mingle and become entangled with portions previously received. The departure of the gas upwardly through the housing and from the outlet is considerably delayed and the commotion produced by the eventual diversion of the portions of gases towards the outlet on different spirals and helices of short pitch effect a thorough commingling of the gases of various degrees of leanness `and richness. It` therefore occurs that a chance unconsumed charge of gas or any portion of live gas, that may be admitted to the housing is so completely mixed with the dead gases therein, that no portion of gas leaving the housing is of suflicient richness to combine with the air and cause an explosion even though a spark may be present. The conduct-ance of the exhaust gases over a substantial distance substantially reduces the possibility of a spark persisting in thegas stream to the housing.

I provide also explosion doors such as 18 closing a relief opening in the conical roof having hinges I9 and disruptable latching means such as the frangible wooden pin 20 engaging the hasp 2l with a loop 22 fixed in the roof, the pin designed to break under impact of an explosion to permit the force to relieve itself and prevent damage to any part of the structure.

My device is particularly useful in oil fields where sparks from the exhaust of a gasoline engine operating near a well may ignite gas escaping from the well.

That I may assure the conductance of the gases to my improved exhaust pit equipment for eradication of explosion hazard as described, I provide a special means of connecting the pipes 6 to prevent leakage of gases from the conduit, comprising the insertion of heat-resistant gaskets in the oints, and structure that will promote the efficiency of the sealing and also permit a certain amount of fiexibility in the contour of the pipe line. A pipe 6 is provided with van annular arcuate rib 23 adjacent one end and a beveled end portion 24 tapering from the exterior edge of the rib to the end of the pipe; and a bell flange 25 at its other end having a beveled recess 26 to receive the beveled portion 24 of another pipe, and a square socket 27 having the lip 28 of the bell flange as one side thereof to receive lan asbestos or similar heatresistant gasket 29. A gasket is seated on the arcuate rib of a pipe, and the bell flange of another pipe is positioned over the ribbed end of the first named pipe as suggested. Ears 3() preferably two in number are provided integral with a pipe, and 'at each end thereof, having orifices 3l through which bolts 32 may be inserted to join adjacent ears of pipes brought together and by compression tightly seal the joints. The construction as shown provides a self-aligning seat for the bell flange, so that the pipes may be laid on irregular ground without requirement of exact alignment, the joints retaining their sealing character and leakage being avoided.

The pipe line comprised of pipes 6 is preferably connected with the inlet 17 by means of an expansion joint 33, to provide for expansion and contraction of the unflanged end of the pipe inserted into the inlet and comprising the inlet collar 34 and the gland sleeve 35 having the gland 36 engaged with the collar, the sleeve being secured to the collar by bolts 37, and packing 38 being provided.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. An exhaust pipe and pit comprising a vertically positioned cylindrical body providing an unobstructed vertical cylindrical chamber having a conical outlet at its upper end coaxial with said chamber, and a horizontal inlet pipe introduced tangentially to the body at its lower end having an inner end registering with the inner periphery of the body for causing movement of inlet gases in an unobstructed horizontal circular path and permitting upward flow of said gases in unobstructed spiral paths toward the outlet.

2. In a device of the character described, an exhaust pit comprising a cylindrical housing having an inlet at its lower end, a conical cover having an apical outlet and a relief opening, a door closing the opening, and a frangible latch for the door adapted to be disrupted under impact of explosion in the pit.

3. In an exhaust pipe and pit, a housing having an inlet at its lower end, a conical cover having an outlet and a relief opening, a door hinged to the cover to close the opening, and means disruptable under impact of an explosion occurring within the housing for latching the door in closed position.

4. An exhaust pit including a ring providing an unobstructed vertical cylindrical chamber and having a horizontal bottom wall, an inlet tangential to the chamber adjacent the lower end of the ring and having an axis parallel with said bottoni wall, the inner end of the inlet registering with the inner periphery of the ring, and a conical top member having an apical outlet coaxial with the chamber.

5. An exhaust pit comprising a ring forming an unobstructed cylindrical chamber, a transverse wall at one end of the chamber having an unobstructed surface perpendicular to the axis of the chamber, an inlet introduced tangentially to the chamber adjacent said wall surface, the inner end of theinlet registering with the inner periphery of the ring,`and a, conical 'outlet atthe other end of said chamber having an -inlet endcon-l f centric with the outletl end of the chamber.

In testimony whereof I aiixrmy signature.

HIRAM A. HoLzER. 

